The topic of death and the afterlife is one of the things we're collectively so fascinated with. Is there an afterlife? What does it feel like to die? But one theory about how we 'never die' has got people seriously freaked out.
Death is one of the most mysterious and widely-debated topics, with a whole load of theories flying around as to what may or may not happen to us when we pass.
It can get seriously creepy - don't even get me started on ghosts - but one physicist's theory on how we may never actually die and have potentially lived through multiple apocalypses has been doing the rounds on TikTok, leaving people with a major dose of existential dread.
TikToker @joli.artist - who frequently posts about conspiracy theories and quantum physics - shared a video discussing ‘quantum immortality’, which is American physicist Hugh Everett’s spine-chilling 'many-worlds' theory.
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Everett came up with the bizarre theory over 60 years ago, the origins of which came from the mathematics of the Schrodinger equation.
There's basically a load of complicated science and math behind it, but in short, he suggested that there are billions of other worlds or realities, and so when we 'die', we just get transferred over to the next world.
Over on TikTok, Joli suggested that based on this theory, 'we never really die' and that the world could have ended on numerous occasions without us even knowing. Lovely.
Elaborating on the theory, she explained: "Whenever you die in one universe, your consciousness just gets transferred into another universe where you survive."
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In this alternate reality, Joli explains, we don't have memories of the previous world we lived in, but may pick up on details that seem a bit off.
Making reference to the Mandela Effect - a phenomenon when people collectively believe a warped or distorted memory - she added: "So after the inevitable apocalypse occurs, you're going to wake up the next day in a new reality, and the next thing you know, you're going to find yourself on Reddit talking about 'since when did Pizza Hut have two Ts?
"Arguing with people who are native of this new reality, talking about 'it's always had two Ts?'"
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Safe to say, the mere suggestion that the world could have ended on various occasions without us knowing left TikTok users suitably freaked.
And to rub salt in the wound further, Joli added: "You don’t believe me? Okay, it’s been about 65 million years since the asteroids allegedly took out the dinosaurs.
“So you mean to tell me that in the last 65 million years, no other asteroids have come through the neighbourhood and taken us out?
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"What I'm saying is that Earth is probably always being taken out, and our consciousness just keeps transferred to another parallel universe - and then another one, and another one.
"For all you know the apocalypse probably already happened last night..."
"BYE NOT TODAY," wrote on user in response to the video.
"Ok, I’m actually kind of freaking out right now coz I’m not the conspiracy typa guy, but you’re like eerily making sense," said another.
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A third echoed: "The thought of never being able to actually die is extremely depressing, and it’s giving me a headache."
Right, on that note I'm off to stare at a wall for the rest of the day...
Chloe Rowland